Sugar Rush: A Cronut Knockoff from Dessert Club ChikaLicious

As the so-named Sugar Rush Food Nerdling, it's my job to investigate New York desserts that people may be curious about. This, for good or bad, includes cronut knockoffs. Now I'm not going to run around the city with my head cut off checking out every Tom Dick and Harry who can come up with an alternate name for a half-doughnut, half croissant. But when Flo Fab features one from a credible bakery that Serious Eats loves, I thought I should make a visit.

I'm referring to Dessert Club ChikaLicious' Yummm Bun: a cinnamon bun made with croissant pastry ($4.50). I visited at 7:30 a.m. to buy a fresh one (their website says they don't open until 1 p.m., by the way), and I'll admit—it's pretty damn good! It's similar to a very good, standard cinnamon bun, but the inside is much crispier due to the laminated pastry layers. It's satisfying to bite through in its own way, so long as you think pastry, not gooey dough. The crunchy layers give way to a pleasant and powerful cinnamon flavor, and I think all the fat in the dough transfers that flavor especially well. It's pricey at $4.50 but still costs less than the $5 Cronut.

Additional notes: When I ordered one, they asked if I wanted it with "cream cheese" or "plain." The cream cheese is really a cream cheese glaze, like a more tart Cinnabon topping.